Friday, June 15, 2012

Favorite Posts Friday {6.15.12}.

Didn't get a FPF post up again last week so these are from the last few weeks. Two posts about anxiety, one about motherhood and changes, and the last is just a big-ugly-snort-worthy-laughter inducing post. And I got a bit wordy about most of them. Apparently I'm feeling chatty.

Baby Rabies - Do I Make You Nervous? -- I have a confession to make. When I take the boys for a walk around our nearby park, I purposely try to keep the playground out of Brennan's sight. Taking all 3 boys to the playground by myself is a terrifying thought for me. Just thinking about it makes my heart beat a little faster and my hands start to shake. Trying to watch Brennan from a distance while pushing the babies in the stroller around the little path might seem like an easy gig for most Moms. But to me, it's a panic attack waiting to happen. The whole time I'm afraid that he's going to hurl himself off the 5 foot tall opening to the monkey bars or try to slide down the 6 foot tall climbing wall and snap his neck in the process. Oh and let's not forget the panic that ensues when he's out of my sight for more than 2 seconds. Because Lord knows it would only take that long for someone to snatch him. So yes, I'm that helicopter Mom. If it's just the 2 of us at the park, I'm much less crazy. I still follow him, but at a distance, giving him room to spread his wings and explore. But the constant juggle of keeping all 3 boys safe is painfully exhausting for my nerves. So it was a relief to read Jill's words and know that I'm not alone in this struggle. It'll just take me a little time to get the hang of it, but I'll get there.

Postpartum Progress - Overwhelmed By Motherhood: The Anatomy Of An Anxiety Attack -- This post is a bit scary and bit reassuring. Scary because Katherine's youngest child is 10 years old. TEN. And she's still suffering from anxiety. But as she explained in a follow up post, she suffered from anxiety prior to her postpartum illness and her panic attacks are now few and far between. So while I know that I may struggle with depression throughout my life, as I have in my past, I can still hope that because this anxiety is a postpartum issue, it'll resolve. And I hope it does because I can handle the depression. The anxiety is just plain scary and exhausting. The most reassuring part is when she speaks of her husband's comparison of motherhood not to a math equation, but to music. "There’s no correct equation for doing it right. There are infinite combinations of notes that will lead to an artful outcome." Beautiful words. I'm going to try to remember this when I get stressed out about the little things.

A Modern Family - Lifestyle Changes -- My dear friend Lorryn is making the transition from part-time working mommy to full-time working mommy very soon. This will certainly lead to some changes in their family's life and she speaks to it a bit in her post. As she says, their are plenty of opinions out there about whether/how much Moms should work outside the home. I give Ryn credit for giving something new a spin. I know that being a working Mom right now would not work for our family, and I cannot imagine leaving my babies during the day, so Brian and I make sacrifices to make it work. Lorryn and her hubby are making their own set of sacrifices, including finding full-time daycare for their sweet girl, to do what feels right for their family. To each their own! I wish more people could respect the choices that others make, even when it's not the same they make for their own families. So bravo, my friend, for doing what'd good for you. Can't wait to read all about the changes on your blog (and of course to chat about it on the phone!).

** No one asked me to feature their blog. I'm just passing along my favorites with hopes that you might find something you like too. And if you find a blog you like, I hope that you'll do like I did and follow their blog, whether by RSS, Friend Connect, or email. And do the same for mine if you like!